Calls grow to allow women to carry pepper spray for defence
Melbourne influencer and mother-of-two Jayde Howard is calling on the federal government to reconsider its ban on possessing pepper spray for self-defence.
The call follows a spate of high-profile incidents that have rattled Australia in the past three months, including the Bondi stabbing attack and the alleged murders of three separate women in Ballarat.
An online petition created by Howard calling for women to be legally permitted to carry pepper spray has gained more than 8,000 signatures.
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Pepper spray is a compound that stimulates the eyes to produce tears. Getty Images/iStockphoto
"While I absolutely advocate for all other areas that the professionals and the specialists are working in when it comes to long-term goals in combating men's violence against women," Howard told 9news.com.au.
"I think what the communities need is a personal safety device that can potentially save lives and stop assaults from happening.
"But right now there are bad men, there are bad violent men and us, the law-abiding citizens, are just trying to go about our lives.
"(We) need the opportunity and deserve the opportunity to legally defend ourselves without fear of prosecution."
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Jayde Howard is calling for pepper spray to be made legal. Supplied Nine
In 2018, Fraser Anning from Katter's Australian Party called on the federal government to legalise pepper spray to "allow women to defend themselves".
However, that was voted down and as it stands - Western Australia is the only state where it's legal to carry the spray for self-defence use.
National Domestic Violence Service: 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).
If you are in immediate danger call triple zero (000).
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